Welcome ALL

[hotairballoonist]

We are glad you are here.

We are certain you are wondering what this site is all about.


Well, it’s fairly simple.

We believed the balloon world needed a balloonist community. We wanted a place where all Balloonists and Crews, Manufacturers, Students and Repairman, Event Organizers, Insurance Companies, Ride Operators and anyone who had connections to the balloon world could come.

We wanted a place where we could exchange Ideas and resources. Share stories and pictures of the fun times, That we all have in this wonderful world of ballooning. A place where we could get advice from the people who know, the repairmen or manufacturer or the old seasoned ride pilot, or the commercial contract pilot who flies over the stadium at noon!  A place where the Student Pilot could get answers to help them become a pilot and further our sport.

We wanted a place where we could see calendars with events and blogs so we could keep up with our favorite pilot in the National Championships or even the World Championships. A calendar where you could find a balloon event in your area or a place you would like to go. A place where the Event Organizer could actually post information directly to the pilots or even have event applications available online instantly!

A place you could go for resources. Links to information, share stuff with everyone in our community! How about a map that shows member locations all over the world? So when you travel you can always find a fellow aeronaut! A place we could share things from stories to technology, from photos to faux pas!

We wanted an interactive market place where you could buy and sell equipment of all kinds. A forum where the potential buyer could ask questions directly to the seller. Imagine a market place where the seller could post a response for all to see and not have to answer the same questions 100 times. A forum where the seller could remove his ad at any time! No getting emails or phone calls about a piece of equipment you sold two months ago!

Ride operators can use this resource to help cut out the middlemen who reduce their profits. Talk about landowner relations or hot spots. See if someone can help take some overflow this weekend. Share launch and landing sites around the flying area. Listings on HotAirBalloonist.com also help their placement on search engines’ too!

Balloon clubs can OPERATE ENTIRELY within this community with their own online calendar and even a private password protected forum!!  At the same time be connected to other pilots across the country. Easy to use share info with other club members and all in privacy if you wish!

The insurance companies can talk about questions we all have on balloon policies. Share new information or even promote local safety seminars! Answer questions to the entire balloon arena at one time.

The lists of features on this site are far too many to list and we have even bigger plans to come. This is what we think the balloon world has wanted and needed for a long time.

Why do we charge a membership? That is also very simple.

Two basic reasons, one it cost money to create a site like this and to maintain it.

The second reason is the real reason. No one takes care of, or puts any effort into, something that is FREE. It just falls by the side of the road. We have tried our best to create a site that has something for everyone at an affordable price. An online community who's benefit and functionality far exceeds the cost of a membership.

In fact the basic membership is about the cost of a cup of coffee. So for the cost of a cup of coffee you can have a membership for an entire month! Get involved with the Balloon World! Share your passion, Give some advice, post a blog about your favorite event or best flight. Let us know about your long jump plans or what events you will be at this year! Help a student get their certificate! (We all know they are the future of our industry!). Talk about your JR. Balloonists camp or upcoming student pilot. Make a difference in something you care about.

The best things in this world most often take hard work and sometimes just a little money.

If you are currently a member we thank you and feel privileged you are involved.

If you are thinking about being a member why not? It’s not that much money and we think it's a huge bargain to be involved in a sport we all love and can’t wait to share with others,or go out and fly.
 

Honestly, Sign up and make a difference!

Please be safe, have fun and always keep looking up!

The HotAirBalloonist team.